For me, modernizing the setting just didn't work because of the lack of firearms. You'd think someone would have invented them, especially someone like Amon. (Speaking of which, was I the only one who hated that his whole character was a giant lie? He'd have been much more interesting if he never had any connection with the Gaang and really did get his power from the spirits. But in a cool way- not a dark avatar nonsense. Dear god that plot was dumb, as was the name)Agreed, like the first series, the second one not so much, it became to modern with everything like cars, plans and such.
That and the idea of using lighting bending to generate power just seems ludicrously inefficient. That and metal bending being well known. To me, metal bending was always something that was doomed to be ludicrously overpowered even in the orgional series. Even without going full Magneto. I personally would have had Toph die before she can pass the knowledge of the power on.